


People Take Care of Russel for a Change of Things

by stayinxalive



Category: Gorillaz
Genre: 2d uses they/them, Family, Fluff, Kong Studios, Noodle uses they/them, One Shot, Phase 2, Russel Appreciation, Russel Hobbs Centric, Russel Hobbs is sick, Sick Fic, no relationships - Freeform, russel hobbs appreciation, russel hobbs protection squad, the band out here supporting him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-17 23:55:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17570351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stayinxalive/pseuds/stayinxalive
Summary: When Russel Hobbs, the foundation of Gorillaz, gets sick the band comes together to keep him company while he works on getting well.





	People Take Care of Russel for a Change of Things

**Author's Note:**

  * For [randomcannedcheese](https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomcannedcheese/gifts).



> this was written for my best buddy Kate whos been sick for like a week now. Please get well soon Kate, I love you!

It was Sunday morning in the not-so-hospitable Kong Studios. Breakfast hadn’t been made, no one was out of their PJs. Overall, the functionality (or the illusion of it) was gone from the Gorillaz residence. Why?    
  
Well, Russel Hobbs was sick.    
  
How sick you may ask? Very. Sick enough to be stuck in bed for 5 days in a row, sick enough to start worrying their other bandmates, but not sick enough to warrant a trip to the hospital. His fever was high and his stomach was cramping. There wasn’t much Russel could do in this state but rest and find ways to occupy his mind. Luckily, for him, he had the most entertaining people already living with him!    
  
Noodle was first, of course, to try to make the effort to help Russel. They had made canned chicken noodle soup, but soon realized that Russel wouldn’t be able to stomach it. So they put the soup in the fridge with hopes it would still be there by the time Russel was able eat things. The next step for the young guitar player was to occupy his time. Noodle knew that it must be super boring to just sit in bed doing nothing for so long.   
  
Luckily for Noodle, Russel already had a DVD player in his room from the countless times that Noodle would come into his room and want to watch movies with him when she was younger. This made Noodle’s plan a lot easier.    
  
Noodle came into the room with an armful of movies ranging from Wall-E to one of 2D’s zombie films that everyone in the household has probably already seen. Noodle laid them out on the bed, usually Russel would just watch whatever Noodle wanted to, but Noodle wasn’t the sick one today!    
  
“You pick”    
  
Russel told Noodle, even his voice sounded sick.    
  
“No! You are the sick one! You pick!”    
  
Noodle shook their head, showing how strongly they believed in what they said. 

 

Russel knew he could argue for Noodle to pick, but he didn’t have the energy. So, instead, he looked down at the selection, giving it some thought. What did he want to see? What would be appropriate for Noodle (even though they were no longer 10, it was still important to keep sensitive content in mind). He pointed to a movie, Star Trek.    
  
When everyone moved into Kong they had mushed together their DVD collection. Star Trek came from Russel’s collection. He had always wanted to watch it with the band but never got around to it. This was a good place to start.    
  
Noodle looked at his choice, then up to him.    
  
“Nerd.”    
  
They took the DVD off the bed and opened it, moving over to the TV in his room and putting it in.    
  
“Hey,”   
  
Russel said to get Noodle’s attention. Noodle turned around to face him. Russel gestured to the mess of DVD’s left on the bed. Noodle threw their head back and groaned.    
  
“Fine”    
  
Noodle walked over, picking up all the DVDs and putting them back away where the band stored them before.    
  
“Thank you, sweetheart”   
  
To which Noodle rolled their eyes and climbed on the bed.    
  
“No problem”

 

Noodle hit play and the movie started, it was an older movie, at least in Noodle’s eyes. Noodle leaned back against the bed frame to get comfy and Russel pulled his covers up more to stay warm.    
  
The movie played on, Noodle was actually very much enjoying it (to their own surprise). Russel, of course being the absolute dork of a man he was, also enjoyed it very much. Noodle furrowed their brows and asked,    
  
“Who is that woman?”    
  
Noodle pointed to the screen. Russel squinted but it wasn’t that hard to guess who Noodle was talking about. There was only one woman on the screen right now.

 

“That Uhura, she is very important-”   
  
Russel was going to go on with his explanation of Uhura but was interrupted by Noodle.    
  
“She’s pretty…”   
  


Russel looked at Noodle quickly, gears turning in his head. He nodded. There was a conversation there that Russel would have with Noodle when they were ready. For now. It was Star Trek time.    
  
“She sure is.” 

 

The two of them spent the rest of the day watching Star Trek together until Noodle realized Russel needed to rest so he could get better.  At that point, Noodle went and heated up the soup they had made earlier and offered it to Russel again. Russel was able to stomach about half before it was enough. Noodle offered the rest of the soup to Murdoc who took it. To eat it? Maybe. Hopefully.   
  
  
The next day was 2D’s turn. They were going to cheer Russel up so much that the sickness was going to ascend out of their body and never come back. 

 

It was about two thirty pm, 2d had just woken up, and immediately went to Russel’s room. They were still groggy but honestly, when weren’t they? 

 

They walked over to Russel’s bed, climbing on top of the side opposite to Russel. Russel, who was about to enjoy an afternoon nap, turned to 2d and just looked at him.    
  
“You need anything Stu?”    
  
Russel could tell 2D was tired as well. 2D shook their head no before explaining why they were here.    
  
“Well, you’ve be sick a while, I oughta check on you.” 

 

Russel sat up, knowing his nap would have to be put on pause while he talked to 2d for a bit.    
  
“I’m the same I’ve been for 5 days going on 6 now.”    
  
“It’s about time to see a doctor, don’t you think?”    
  
Russel shook his head, but in doing so, he started coughing. 2D sat there worried, waiting for the fit to stop.    
  
“Nah, It’s okay. I just gotta wait this one out. A doctor would tell me the same thing.”   
  
“If you say so…”    
  
2D shifted to be more comfortably laying on the bed. They looked up at Russel,    
  
“Do you mind if I use some of the blanket? It’s chilly in here… maybe that’s why your sick.”   
  
Russel didn’t verbally answer but he handed 2D some of the blanket so they could get under it. They got under the blanket. 

 

“Hey, Russ what have you been doing the past 5 days”   
  
2D asked, mainly to make sure their friend was not alone and miserable in his room for the past week.    
  
“The kid came in yesterday and watched Star Trek with me and made some soup, other then that I’ve been resting and trying to get better” 

 

“I can hang out with you for the rest of the day if you want. There’s checkers somewhere in the living room or we could watch some more movies”   
  
Russel was very sure if he were to watch a movie, he would be asleep with in the first 10 minutes. 2D looked the same way.    
  
“Let’s play some checker.”   
  
2D smiled, “Okay! I’ll go get them.” 

 

2D got up to go gather the checkers from the living room and came back. They set the game on on their bed and for the next 3 hours Russel Hobbs and 2D played checkers. I say only three hours because after the 35th game Russel was about to pass out and asked 2D to let him nap.    
  
  


It was on day 7 that Russel even felt at all better. This is the day Murdoc decided to check up on him. 

 

Murdoc walked into the room, leaning against the door frame and looking into the room.    
  
“Hey Russ, are you doing better? It’s basically anarchy out there without you.”    
  
Russel, who was watching whatever show was on TV while half asleep, looked over to Murdoc.    
  
“I think I’ll be better tomorrow. How bad is it out there?”   
  
Murdoc snorted and sat on the end of Russel’s bed. Murdoc was really here for some kind of relief, the need to be around someone other than 2D or a teenager.    
  
“You should see it, Russ, I’m pretty sure Noodle is the only still eating breakfast and I don’t think 2D has changed his clothes in three days.”    
  
Russel let out a sigh and looked up, can he not catch a break?    
  
“Yeah, I guess I saw that coming. What about you. What have you been up to?”   
  
Murdoc shrugged with an unreadable expression, looking to the walls opposite of Russel.  

 

“Music. Business. You know, what I normally do.” 

 

Russel nodded, “Hopefully eating, drinking, and taking a shower is a part of what you normally do.”    
  
Murdoc furrowed his brows before he realized it was a joke. Then he laughed. Him and Russel laughed. Both of them laughed till they were coughing.    
  
“It doesn’t sound like it’s getting better. You know I could help with that I know a lot about-”   
  
“Yeah, yeah. I know Murdoc. It’s going away. No need for medicine or a doctor or anything”    
  
Russel waved off any concern Murdoc had as he did with the other two band members who had seen him prior. 

 

The two sat there in a comfortable silence, both of them probably needed the company right now.    
  
Russel was the first to speak up, “Do you think we will start playing again tomorrow?”    
  
“If you are better, yeah. You’ve missed a week of rehearsal cause of this damned bug. I would like to play if you are able to.”    
  
Russel nodded, he had no objections to playing the drums. He was actually eager to play again since he had been on bedrest for so long. He was eager to really do anything that didn’t involve laying down.    
  
“That's cool, yeah. Hey man, do you think you could refill my cup with some water.”    
  
Murdoc looked like he was going to protest but it died on the way out his throat and he shrugged.    
  
“Yeah, I got you.”    
  
Murdoc grabbed the empty water cup and left the room, going to the kitchen and filling the cup with ice, and then some tap water. 

 

When he came back, Russel had fallen asleep. Murdoc chuckled. He could tell Russel was about to pass out when he first walked in. No surprise he was out now. Murdoc set the cup on the nightstand next to his bed and left the room, turning off the light and shutting the door behind him. 

  
  



End file.
